Under pressure: Spurs are six points worse off than they were at this stage last season

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jurgen Klinsmann has urged the club to give manager Mauricio Pochettino time to implement his philosophy.

United States coach Klinsmann pointed to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United who reaped the rewards of giving managers Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson time in the job.

"I really hope (Pochettino is given time). There's no reason to change anything," Klinsmann, whose U.S. side suffered a defeat 2-1 defeat to Colombia at Craven Cottage on Friday night, said.

"You look at the big clubs around the world, not just in Europe, the clubs that stick to a certain way, they give the coaches time to develop things the way they want it and they build consistency," he told the BBC.

Argentine Pochettino has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks after a series of lacklustre and toothless Spurs performances.

Since arriving at White Hart Lane in May, Pochettino, who guided unfancied Southampton to a brilliant eight-placed finish last season, has struggled to replicate those managerial feats.

Spurs sit 12th in the table after 11 games, 15 points behind leaders Chelsea, having lost three of their last four matches. They are six points worse off at this stage of the campaign compared to last season and only waited until mid-December last year before parting company with then manager Andre Villas-Boas.

"It's normal that you go through up and downs when the new coaching staff comes in," Klinsmann said.

"It will take time to mould things the way Mauricio wants it to happen. Therefore you have a little bit of a rollercoaster.

"You need to stay calm, take it one step at a time and make the changes you need to make and then things will go in the right direction. But it's not going to happen overnight."

Widely-criticised chairman Daniel Levy has made Pochettino his third manager in under a year after Villas-Boas and predecessor Tim Sherwood and Klinsmann urged him to exercise more patience with the 42-year-old.

"If you have only four or six months you're not making that big difference. Arsene Wenger is (at Arsenal) for many years so you can only make that difference over a long period of time which he did.

"Look at Alex Ferguson, how much did he win in the first three or four years? Not much. But then he brought the consistency to what Manchester United is today. That's the way it works."